Maiden Resource Estimate (“MRE”)
The Company expects to deliver the Maiden Resource Estimate (“MRE”) on the newly discovered zones (Area 51, Tabasco, and Cayenne) and the Gabbro zones by the end of the third quarter of 2021 as scheduled. The MRE is expected to include both a near-surface and an underground component for all these zones.
Surface Exploration Program
Drilling
Wallbridge is conducting a 170,000-metre drill program in 2021, of which 70,000 metres is planned to be completed by early
The decision to use directional drilling to control hole deviation, which is slower but optimizes drill hole spacing and meterage for the MRE in the Tabasco, Cayenne and Area 51 zones, means the rate of drilling in the first quarter was lower than the projected 2021 quarterly average. The Company expects to make up any shortfall in metreage during the second half of the year as the resource focused directional drilling gives way to resource expansion drilling and regional exploration.
Assays
Assay turn-around time (“TAT”) has increased by 25% to 35% over the past few months, primarily due to COVID-related restrictions at the assay labs. The Company has now engaged the services of three laboratories, and does not expect the increase in TAT to adversely affect the timing of the MRE.
Most of the holes drilled at Fenelon intersect multiple gold mineralized zones (Area 51, Tabasco, Cayenne and Gabbro). On average, 70% of core is within mineralized envelopes and is therefore sent for sampling and assaying. For clarity, the Company generally announces the assay results for holes once the assays for the entire hole have been received. Delays in the receipt of assays within a hole, either due to unexpected high grades or the processing sequence used by the labs, can cause delays in reporting the assays from the entire hole.
Underground Exploration
In
Management has since optimized the development schedule and productivities and will continue this program with one development crew rather than two. As a result, the Area 51 development will be completed prior to starting the Tabasco ramp and the expected underground development will be reduced to 2,500 metres, with a corresponding decrease in expenditures, during 2021.
Permits
As disclosed on
Planned Spending
At
Regional Exploration
The 2021 exploration program includes regional drilling and fieldwork in the second half of the year. This exploration will amount to 10-15 % of the budget and will include approximately 20,000 metres of drilling to test for gold mineralization on various properties within the Company’s large regional land package which includes the Martiniere, Grasset and Casault target areas.
At Martiniere, the Company is planning to evaluate the resource expansion potential of the Martiniere West and Bug deposits, which have a combined historical indicated resource of 7,919,598 t @ 2.32 g/t Au for 590,642 oz and have seen very limited drilling below 350 metres vertical depth. The geology and gold mineralization of these deposits are currently being reviewed internally and an updated 43-101 resource estimate is expected to be prepared along with the Fenelon MRE in Q3 2021. In addition, a number of high-priority grassroots gold targets exist elsewhere on the Martiniere property which may be prioritized for drill testing in 2021.
At Grasset, the Company is planning to follow up on historic intersections in the Grasset Gold showing (1.66 g/t Au over 33.00 metres, including 6.15 g/t Au over 4.04 metres) and elsewhere along the
Nickel-Copper-PGE Assets
Wallbridge entered into an operatorship agreement (the “Operatorship Agreement”) with
With its acquisition of
About
Wallbridge is currently advancing the exploration and development of its 100%-owned Fenelon Gold Property which is located along the Detour-Fenelon Gold Trend, an emerging gold belt in northwestern
Wallbridge now holds several kilometres surrounding its rapidly expanding Fenelon discovery providing room for growth, as well as future mine development flexibility. Wallbridge's land holdings in
Wallbridge is also the operator of, and a 17.8% shareholder in,
This news release has been authorized by the undersigned on behalf of
For further information please visit the Company's website at www.wallbridgemining.com or contact:
President & CEO
Tel: (705) 682-9297 ext. 251
Email: mkord@wallbridgemining.com
Investor Relations Advisor
Email: vvargas@wallbridgemining.com
This press release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation relating to, among other things, the operations of
By their nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous assumptions, inherent risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predicted outcomes could differ materially from those contained in such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, delays in obtaining or failures to obtain required governmental, regulatory, environmental or other required approval, the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuations in prices of commodities, fluctuations in currency markets, actual results of additional exploration and development activities at the Company’s projects, capital expenditures, the availability of any additional capital required to advance projects, accidents, or pandemic interruptions.
Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. These statements reflect the current internal projections, expectations or beliefs of the Company and are based on information currently available to the Company.
The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forward-looking statements included in this press release should not be unduly relied upon by investors as actual results may vary.
Risks and uncertainties about Wallbridge’s business are more fully discussed in the disclosure material filed with the securities regulatory authorities in
Covid-19 - Given the rapidly evolving nature of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, Wallbridge is actively monitoring the situation in order to continue to maintain as best as possible the activities while striving to protect the health of its personnel. Wallbridge's activities will continue to align with the guidance provided by local, provincial and federal authorities in
Source:
2021 GlobeNewswire, Inc., source